Book #99: Mockingjay

Title: Mockingjay (The Final Book of the Hunger Games Series)
Author: Suzanne Collins
 
After reading the first two books in the Hunger Games series, I don't know why I expected Mockingjay to end happily. I mean, the first two books were pretty depressing, and they all ended darkly, with just a note of hope. Katniss and Peeta (and Gale) were pretty darn damaged after the second book. I also hate movies and books where a bloodbath takes place, but all the main characters end up unscathed (I think that was part of the genius of The Hurt Locker and LOST-- the famous people get killed off too, not just the throwaway supporting characters). I also think that we shouldn't pander to a YA audience and give them stories that are less "real" (in terms of realistic actions and reactions) than the books adult readers would expect. For both of those reasons, I really admire Mockingjay. Collins doesn't pander, and while the book arguably ends the way readers might want it to end, it's obvious that none of the main players left the battle unscathed.

I can't help but compare the end of the Hunger Games series with the end of the Harry Potter series. In both cases, the books ended with a recap that showed what happened to the major players several years in the future. However, in Mockingjay, readers get a much greater sense that Katniss and her family are still recovering from the events of their past. There's no discussion of Harry having PTSD, for example, or being unable to embrace life after nearly losing his to Voldemort. Furthermore, major characters die in both series, but the deaths seemed more tragic and more heartwrenching in Mockingjay. Dumbledore was, after all, an old dude when he died, right? I admire Collins for staying true to her story and her characters in Mockingjay, but it made for a much darker, less gratifying read. Maybe that's a good thing.